Setting the Record Straight on Firearm Coverage

Several left-wing media outlets, including The Nation and Mother Jones, have been advancing a false notion that Koch is somehow involved in lobbying for firearms legislation. The Nation magazine put it this way: “A notorious Koch brothers-funded lobby group may have played a leading role in writing and passing the 2005 Florida self-defense law.”

But this idea is entirely wrong in several key respects. First, Koch has had no involvement in this legislation whatsoever. We have had no discussions with anyone at ALEC, the legislative policy group at issue, about the matter either. In fact, the only lobbying on firearms issues we have ever undertaken in Florida was in opposition to the National Rifle Association’s support for a bill that mandated employers must allow employees to bring firearms onto company property.
The false assertions about Koch are another example of a conspiracy technique used by left-wing advocates in which they try to connect any public policy complaint to Koch — no matter how far-fetched or disjointed.

The reality is that ALEC is a non-partisan membership association for state legislators and many hundreds of other individuals, organizations, and companies also support ALEC. This includes about 2,000 public sector members, Democrats and Republicans alike.

Although obviously irresponsible, some left-wing groups apparently think that misleading their own supporters is a worthwhile practice. But we will confront this propaganda when it occurs and we would urge legitimate news outlets to disregard these false assertions we have cited.